Sephardic Academy of Manhattan
School in New York City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sephardic Academy of Manhattan (SAM) is a Jewish preschool and elementary school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, whose plan is to provide pre-K through middle school services.
| Sephardic Academy of Manhattan | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City United States 40.76537°N 73.96059°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | preschool and elementary school |
Religious affiliation | Jewish |
| Established | 2010 |
| Founders | Rabbi Elie Abadie, M.D. and Daniel J. Harari |
The SAM School’s mission is to provide students with a universal education that emphasizes Sephardic-Judaic Culture and Torah knowledge and observance combined with the study of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. This unique approach includes the pursuit of rigorous scholastic achievement, embraces a humane approach to learning, cultural recognition and religious humanism. It is rooted in a strong sense of Jewish identity as practiced in Classical Sephardic Heritage.[1][2][3]
Rabbi Elie Abadie, M.D., started the academy in 2010.[4][5] The current executive director is Michelle Dayan.[6][7]
The academy is buying the six-story, 11,850-square-foot (1,101 m2) building at 150 East 74th Street, located between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan and previously the home of the New York Veterinary Hospital, for $14 million.[8][9][10] SAM bought the property to expand its programming.[9] The school was to open the new location September 2022 and could choose to convert it into a school or for a nonprofit use, with the option of adding 23,000 square feet (2,100 m2).[9][8] In November 2024, the Sephardic Academy of Manhattan opened a new campus at 7 East 96th Street.[11][12] By the 2025–2026 academic year, there were 240 students.[12]